Cooper Continues to Call Out Baldwin For Anti-Gay Comments

Alec Baldwin made headlines last week after hurling anti-gay slurs towards paparazzi, resulting in criticism from his peers in the media and a temporary suspension of his talk show on MSNBC. Openly gay journalist Anderson Cooper, who was one of the first to call out the actor’s choice of words last week, once again criticized Baldwin on his CNN show "AC360 Later" Monday night.

As the Huffington Post reports, Cooper said Baldwin was a liar for claiming he did not know that "cocksucker" could be considered as a slur against gay men.

"For him to say, I was informed of this afterward, I mean come on!" Cooper said, later adding that he doesn’t understand why the actor is getting a "pass" for his behavior.

"If Alec Baldwin had yelled the n-word to that photographer, or yelled some anti-Jewish slur, it would be over!" he said.

The segment also featured blogger Andrew Sullivan, who also called out Baldwin last week.

"And it’s important to note that all this stuff is laced with a threat of violence. All of these instances are also about ’I’m going to get you,’" Sullivan said.

When Cooper first heard that Baldwin allegedly called a photographer a "cocksucking fag," the journalist took to Twitter and wrote, "Wow, Alec Baldwin shows his true colors yet again. How is he going to lie and excuse his anti-gay slurs this time?"

A Twitter user then asked Cooper why Baldwin needs to apologize for the comments, claiming that "it’s his right" to use slurs, Cooper said, "I never suggested he had to apologize. He can say whatever he wants, but then why repeatedly lie about it afterwards?" He later added, "Just read Alec Baldwin’s latest excuses. They are actually so ridiculous they are funny"

Soon after Baldwin made headlines for his anti-gay comments, officials from MSNBC suspended the actor’s talk show for two episodes, though the cable channel did not specify why it made the move. In a statement posted to MSNBC’s website, Baldwin wrote he, "did not intend to hurt or offend anyone with my choice of words, but clearly I have - and for that I am deeply sorry."

Stephen Baldwin, brother of actor and liberal activist Alec Baldwin will be a featured speaker at an ex-gay conference later this month. The three day event called "Rising from the Ashes" is sponsored by ex-gay ministry Hope for Wholeness Network.